Many individuals have been trying to form better behaviors at home, including exercising more, eating healthier, and self-reflecting. However, plenty of them who come into our office and ask if they brush their teeth twice daily still get cavities.
Although the answer to this question differs from person to person, our dentists share general principles about cavity formation with our patients that helps address this concern. Even if one brushes their teeth twice daily, the dentist might still find a cavity. Look at why some individuals who brush regularly still have cavity formation.
How Long Does One Brush?
Brushing action removes sticky plaque and debris from your teeth. However, not removing sugar coating on your teeth or leftover food feeds bacteria in the mouth. The acid formed by these bacteria wears away dental enamel. This increases the chances of having cavities.
Our dental office’s dentist recommends you brush for 2 minutes twice daily. Although a quick sweep with toothpaste gives them all, it might refresh if it doesn’t remove the cavity, causing plaque and leftover debris. If one barely brushes twice daily, they should set a timer or choose a 2-minute song they listen to while brushing. This helps extend the overall brushing time and reduce the risk of cavity formation.
How do Dental Cavities Form?
Human teeth are made up of minerals. Any time one drinks or takes sugary or starchy foods, bacteria in the plaque on the teeth begin to produce acid. This acid eats away the enamel that protects your teeth. When the mouth becomes more acidic by dropping below a critical pH, your teeth lose the natural minerals.
It takes about 30 minutes to one hour after drinking or eating for the pH in the mouth to return to normal. However, this process will begin again if one doesn’t give their mouth enough time to recover after drinking or eating and consumes something else high in starch or sugar. And when the process starts, the acid will continue to form from the plague of the teeth.
How can I Help My Teeth Re-mineralize?
Saliva is a person’s friend. It’s a big help in keeping their teeth protected. Saliva is a natural buffer from harmful food particles and helps flush them out. The minerals found in the teeth also form saliva, so after one eats, the liver helps add phosphate and calcium back to the teeth.
However, sometimes saliva might not be enough, and fluoride comes in. Drinking tap water with fluoride or using fluoride toothpaste helps protect your teeth more. As a result, the next time a person’s teeth recover from acid and sugar in the juice they drank or cookies they ate, their teeth can use these fluoride minerals in their saliva to create a more decay-resistant enamel.
What is the Best Time to Brush my Teeth?
Everybody knows that brushing their teeth twice daily is important, but what day should one brush?
While one is sleeping, plaque causes bacteria to multiply in the mouth. Brushing their teeth when they wake up helps remove the bacteria and plaque. Also, brushing your teeth in the morning helps introduce fluoride in your mouth before taking your first meal. In addition, you’ll help cleanse your mouth of the plaque-causing bacteria that multiplied overnight, which lessens the number of food particles that turn to acid from your meal.
If you are among those, who like to brush their teeth after a meal, ensure you wait at least 30 minutes before brushing. If you brush immediately after you have finished taking your breakfast, you might be removing the helpful minerals in your survivor. If you need a rinse after drinking water, eating or chewing sugarless gum helps increase saliva flow so that it can continue keeping your teeth healthy.
Additionally, ensuring your brush before heading to bed at night helps limit any prolonged acid exposure when you sleep. It’s important to brush your teeth twice daily to help remove harmful bacteria and food particles from your teeth. However, one can elevate their routine by brushing fast when they wake up and the last thing before they go to sleep.
If you have concerns about your oral health routine, especially during an unprecedented or stressful time, request an appointment at our dental offices today for help.